'MasterChef' Ousts Three Contestants in One Episode (VIDEO)

Last week's winning 14 contestants finally entered the 'MasterChef' (Wed., 8PM ET on FOX) kitchen. The two teams' first challenge? Cooking for hundreds of Marines at Camp Pendleton.

Gordon Ramsay then eliminated one chef on the losing team from the competition -- and added a twist. "Here's the bad news," he said. "We're not done yet." Two more competitors were forced to hang up their aprons -- to the shock of the remaining contestants. Doubly surprising was how complimentary Ramsay was to each of the departing chefs.

The MasterChef himself called one "a shining example to everybody else in this competition." To another, he said, "You have done exceptionally well."